


Ink

by helsinkibaby



Category: Magnum P.I. (TV 2018)
Genre: Banter, Community: 1-million-words, Everyone Finds Out, F/M, Fluff, Het, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-12
Updated: 2021-03-12
Packaged: 2021-03-20 09:20:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,205
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30002682
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/helsinkibaby/pseuds/helsinkibaby
Summary: A discussion about who is or isn’t a tattoo person uncovers a secret.
Relationships: Noelani Cunha/Gordon Katsumoto
Comments: 10
Kudos: 15
Collections: 1 Million Words' A to Z Challenge





	Ink

**Author's Note:**

> For the one million words a-z challenge, I is for ink

When Katsumoto arrived at La Mariana, he knew where his group was without even looking around, mostly because of the amount of raucous laughter coming from their table. After ordering a beer from Susie behind the bar, he made his way over to the long rectangular table near the stage. Shammy, Rick and TC were lined up along one side, Magnum, Higgins and Noelani along the other, leaving no chairs free so Katsumoto did the logical thing and pulled a chair from the empty table next to them, setting it beside Noelani and sitting down. 

“Gordy!” Magnum was laughing. “Settle an argument for us.” 

Knowing that this could go a thousand ways, very few of them good, Katsumoto took a drink before he spoke. “What?”

“Ink.” It was TC who spoke. 

Rick followed up immediately with, “Those who have it and those who don’t.” 

“See, we are saying that there are those who are tat people, and those who are not. For example-” Magnum gestured at Katsumoto, waving his hand up and down as if in illustration. Beside him, Higgins rolled her eyes, while Noelani just looked amused. “You? Not a tat person. No offence.”

He added that on like he’d just insulted Katsumoto. “None taken,” Katsumoto said. “Also, correct.”

“Ah-ha!” All three men looked delighted, but it was Magnum who continued to speak, looking triumphantly at Higgins. “I told you.” 

“No, Magnum.” Despite her demeanour, Higgins was outwardly patience personified as she spoke, which Katsumoto knew to mean she’d been making this point for a while and was thoroughly fed up. “You informed me that neither I nor Noelani could possibly have a tattoo as we are not ‘tat people’. Despite the fact that both of us, knowing our bodies better than you _ever_ will, have told you repeatedly that you are incorrect.” 

Impressed at how she could fit that much scorn into a few short sentences, Katsumoto shot a curious glance at Noelani, who met his gaze and nodded sagely. 

“Hmmm.” TC made a thoughtful noise. “I don’t know, I’m with TM on this one. Noelani, you just don’t strike me as the type.” 

Noelani shrugged. “And yet.” 

“So... you have a tattoo.” Rick still seemed like he was having trouble with the concept. Noelani nodded, a hint of asperity beginning to bleed into her expression. “Where and what?”

For his troubles, he got the kind of look that Katsumoto hadn’t seen since his mom had grounded him for failing chemistry. “You’ll never know.” 

“I’m guessing something to do with the islands... like a hibiscus... or a rose...” Magnum’s eyes were narrowed and his whole focus was on Noelani, like he was gauging her reaction to see if he was close. 

Rick tilted his head, his eyes running over Noelani’s body like he had x-ray vision. Katsumoto felt the sudden urge to clench his fists and use them. “I could see it being a rose... what do you think, Gordy?” 

Katsumoto spoke without thinking. “It’s a dolphin.” 

He would later realise that it was the way he said it that was the problem. If he’d managed to frame it as a guess, like he was joining in the teasing, then he might have got away with it. But no. He said it completely deadpan, completely serious, like he knew if for absolute surety. 

Which, of course, he did. 

Everyone else seemed to realise that straight away because all conversation stopped dead around the table. Every set of eyes swung to him, wide and shocked. Then to Noelani, whose cheeks were bright red and, recalling just where her tattoo was, recalling just how and when he’d been able to see it, Katsumoto realised why. 

Characteristically, Magnum was the first to recover, tilting his head as he said slowly, “Noelani’s just told us she’ll never tell us what it is and none of us will ever see it.” He let those words hang in the air for a long moment. When he spoke again, there was a knowing smirk on his lips. “How is it that _you_ know?” 

For a brief instant, Katsumoto considered making something up. Some story about how it had come up during a case, a conversation over a dead body. Then his eyes met Noelani’s. Her cheeks were still scarlet, but she was smiling at him, a genuine smile, not at all the expression of someone who wanted to kill him. He narrowed his eyes the tiniest amount, a wordless question that she understood perfectly and that she answered with an equally tiny nod. 

And just like that, he made up his mind. 

“Oops,” he said, still perfectly deadpan. Slowly, deliberately, obviously, he reached out and took Noelani’s hand in his, lacing their fingers together and bringing them to rest, joined, on the table between them. He looked around at each of their friends in turn, enjoying the expression of mingled shock and delight, before ending up looking back into Noelani’s eyes. “Guess I blew that one, huh?”

She narrowed her eyes theatrically, but she was still smiling. “You really did.” He gave her his best apologetic grin and she shrugged exaggeratedly helplessly. He could see mischief in her eyes so he was prepared when she said, “It’s a good thing you’re cute,” and had the exact reply ready. 

“I know,” he said, letting his own smirk emerge. Said smirk only widened when Magnum actually howled, clapping a hand over his eyes. 

“Enough!” he said, his expression a cross between amused and appalled. “It’s like watching my parents make out or something...”

Katsumoto raised an eyebrow but it was Noelani who spoke. “Magnum, I’ll do you many favours, but if you think I’m adopting you, you can think again.” 

“Seconded.” Katsumoto didn’t even have to think about that one. 

“Magnum, leave them alone.” Higgins’s crisp tone left no doubt that she expected to be obeyed. “Just because you have the emotional maturity of a turnip, it doesn’t mean we all have to pay for it.” 

Magnum turned his head to her, his index finger hovering in the air between them. “The emotional maturity of a what now?”

“Besides, we all know you’re just miffed that Gordon has, inadvertently, proved mine and Noelani’s point about tattoos-”

“Not so, we still don’t know where yours is, if you even have one...” Magnum pointed out before continuing on in similar vein. Katsumoto tuned him out, right as Higgins met his gaze and, unseen by Magnum, mouthed, “You’re welcome.” Katsumoto raised his drink in silent salute then turned his attention to Noelani, squeezing her hand. 

“So, you’re still talking to me then?” 

Noelani wrinkled her nose, pursed her lips. “I guess so,” she said, leaning in a little closer to him. “You’re going to have to make it up to me though.” 

“Oh?” Katsumoto felt a smile tug at his lips. “And how would I go about doing that?” 

Noelani didn’t even try to hide her own smile. “I’m sure I’ll think of something.” 

“I have some thoughts of my own,” Katsumoto told her. “We should compare notes.” 

Later on, that’s exactly what they did. 

And, if he caught a glimpse or two of her tattoo in the process, well, she didn’t seem to mind. 


End file.
